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Misteret Ezra'him (Poeni Citizen Militia)
|-|EB1= |-|EB2= EB1:Poeni Citizen Militia is recruited amongst the citizens of Carthage. In very occasional situations they fight as a militia phalanx that can hold it's own in a non crucial position in the battle line. EB2:These men fight in the Greek style, in a hoplite phalanx. Description The Phoenician citizens of Kart-Hadast decided long ago that their numbers were too small to make up a major part of the regular army of their city's imperial holdings. Their wealth made it possible for them to hire vast amounts of foreign soldiers and mercenaries to fight for them. Because of this, most Karthadastim fight only when there is a need for the defense of Carthage itself. When they do fight, they fight as a militia phalanx, with spears and swords. They wear Attic style helmets, copied from the Greeks of Sicily. The Carthaginian citizens use the large bronze aspis of the Greeks as well, but are lightly armored to take advantage of some mobility when not in formation. Still, they are militia, and should not be expected to hold crucial portions of the battle line for any significant amount of time. They are brave, but it is a bravery borne of desperation. They will not hold long if flanked or if hit with a better armed and trained group of infantry. Historically, a Carthaginian citizen phalanx was of poor quality. They lived pampered lifestyles in comparison to citizens of other nations, and their abilities reflect this. Carthage did not use citizens outside of elite military units unless there was a dire need to do so. They were used during the Roman invasion in the first Punic War and at the battle of Zama to little effect. Citizens who wished a martial career could join the cavalry or the Sacred Bands. There was little incentive for merchants to fight wars… --------------------- These men are the heirs of the Phoenicians who founded one of the most powerful cities in the world that was born victorious and sacred. They are the heirs of the citizen-soldiers who fought for their city and their allies in Sicily, and now, they, who are from different ethnicities but all them are considered Carthaginians, will continue the fight against their enemies with solidarity and valour, though they no longer fight outside of Africa, their homeland. These men come from the group of humble individuals of varying wealth who have the Carthaginian citizenship. They are artisans that live in the noisy industrial Carthaginian periphery, peasants or farmers who live from their productive crops, and small merchants who trade their products in the Agora near the port and the senate and live in oligarch@s shadow. When they go into battle, they fight as traditional hoplites with helmets, shields and spears and they usually perform a supporting role as a phalanx covering the flanks of the army. Carthage was one of the most multi-ethnic cities of the Mediterranean world. Originally, the city was founded by the Phoenicians from Tyre and Cyprus who lived with the native African population but over time, new contingents of Phoenicians from cities like Sidon arrived in the city, fleeing local troubles such as the attacks of Assyria, then the Babylonian threat, and finally Alexander's conquests. Subsequently, other peoples whose origins were in Sardinia and in Italy, also arrived in Carthage together with Greeks from Sicily and from the Aegean Sea. Marriages between Carthaginians and Greeks were not an unusual practice, for example Hasdrubal, Carthaginian general in the Battle of Himera (480 B.C.) was the son of a Carthaginian aristocrat but his mother was a Syracusan noblewoman (Herodotus, VII, 166). Another example was Hippocrates and Epicydes, Hannibal's ambassadors, whose grandfather was Syracusan and their mother was Carthaginian, who lived in Carthage where they had born (Livy, XXIV, 6, 2). These different origins didn't impede the granting of the citizenship; a good example is Bolmelqart, an individual who made a Punic offering in the Carthage Tophet when all his ancestors had Greek names. Like in many Mediterranean city-states, the Carthaginians non-aristocrats, were formed by modest peasants, artisans and small traders, some of them even had a few slaves, these multitudes were controlled by the elites through the unequal distribution of conquered land in the North of Africa. As citizens, their obligations included voting in elections and the performance of public posts, in addition they also took over of the religious functions and participated in the civic army as citizen-soldiers. There is significant evidence of military participation; during the V century B.C. and the IV century B.C. in the Greco-Punic Wars; or in Africa during the enemy invasions like in the Battle of Tunis against Agathocles of Syracuse (310 B.C.); in the Regulus's incursion (256 B.C.) during the First Punic War; in the Scipio Africanus's attack (205 B.C.) during the Second Punic War; and in the resistence during the Third Punic War (146 B.C.). The Carthaginian citizens also participated in battles during other incidents, for example in Bomilcar's attempt to establish tyranny (309 B.C.), where five hundred citizens followed to the potential tyrant but many other Carthaginian youths took up arms and Bomilcar was defeated. Another instance was during the Libyan War (240 B.C.), where the Carthaginian citizens fought against the rebellious mercenaries who had formerly been their allies. In return for these obligations, they had the supreme sovereignty and could show their authority through the assembly, however in practice an oligarchy governed, as described by Aristotle (Pol., II, 11): "For men Carthaginians in general think that magistrates should be chosen not only for their merit, but for their wealth: a man, they say, who is poor cannot rule well- he has not the leisure.". However, the assembly gradually obtained more prerogatives; in the Third century B.C. the citizens chose the generals; and in the Second century B.C. they were able to deliberate and choose the shophtim. This was possible because of a democratization that started with the rise of the aristocrats (owners of large estates) who replaced the merchant oligarchs and the process ended with Hannibal@s reform. The Carthaginian citizens initially fought in the Eastern style, but abandoned those tactics around the middle of the Sixth century B.C. when Mago introduced his military reform. Their armaments were modernised through adoption of the hoplite panoply, first seen by the Carthaginians in Egypt, where the hoplite tactics were introduced by Spartan mercenaries during the time of the Dynasty XXVI. In addition, Mago introduced the first allied soldiers and mercenaries that fought alongside the citizen-soldiers. However, citizens generally preferred to serve the navy since, the main source of Carthage's power was always the sea. Citizen crews were renowned for their sailing and navigation, and this participation in the navy was the basis of the Carthaginian thalassocracy. As in the Hellenic world, the salary came from the State but the navy was much more respected by the Carthaginians than by the Greek powers. After all, the survival of Carthage was directly linked with the domination of the sea (a way of life to many people and the place where Carthage was able to stock up on supplies), which further motivated citizens to serve in this fashion. Usage The Poeni Citizen Militia are similar to the Hoplitai Haploi (Greek Levy Hoplites) except having a much lower defense skill. They can best to protect the least intense part of your battle line and their speed allows them to be good flanking infantry and to be used against skirmishers. Like other Hoplitai units, their strength shows when in guard mode, their formation is quite formidable and can hold and pin the enemy while you can proceed with outflanking the enemy. They are absolutely no match against heavy infantry or shock infantry however. You also must be careful not let skirmishers and archers fire upon them or they will take heavy casualties. These infantry are excellent garrison units and can be used for killing re-spawning rebels for cost-effectiveness. Category:Units Category:Karthadastim